As a transfer apparatus for assuredly transferring a thin material such as glass, a glass vertical transfer apparatus employing a driving roller system with plural rows of rollers has been practically used, for example (For example, a glass vertical transfer apparatus manufactured by Nippon Setsubi Industries, Ltd.).
However, in case of thin film transistors (TFTs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), glass substrates, etc. as members to be transferred, transfer apparatuses giving as small impact or contact upon opponent members as possible are desired.
Under the circumstances, an electrostatic holding apparatus which electrostatically holds a thin member in a non-contact state has been proposed (For example, see Patent Document 1). This electrostatic floating transfer apparatus, which is based on an electrostatic floating system using electrostatic force, comprises a stationary part in which an electrode pattern of a conductor is formed on an insulating substrate, an object to be handled which is opposed to and held by the stationary part in a non-contact manner, a proximity switch for detecting a gap between the stationary part and the object, an electric power source for supplying a DC voltage, and a switching circuit for switchingly applying voltage upon electrodes of the stationary part, wherein the DC voltage from the electric power source is switchingly applied to the electrode pattern of the stationary part through the switching circuit based on on/off signals from the proximity switch, so as to stably float the object to be handled.
There is also proposed a thin member handling method and a thin member handling apparatus in which a thin member as an object to be handled is transferred in an inclined state by using the above electrostatic holding apparatus (See Patent Document 2, for example).
Patent Document 2 describes the handling apparatus in which a belt conveyor is provided to support one side edge of the thin member such as the glass sheet or the like, and the thin member is transferred, while the thin member is being held in an inclined state by supporting the above one side edge with the belt conveyor and sucking a face of the thin member with the electrostatic holding apparatus in a non-contact state.
Patent Document 1: JP-H09-322564A
Patent Document 2: JP-2001-198759A